3 Steps to your health and fitness success.

How to get from where you are to where you want to be.

Have you ever stopped and wondered what it really takes to achieve your health and fitness goals?

Over the 15 years of working with clients across the globe, I have noticed some common question that constantly come up.

What do I need to do to lose weight?

What do I need to do to get in shape?

What do I need to eat?

Can you do a program for me?

Can you help me with my fitness?

And the most famous statement of all time.

I have tried everything but nothing works…..

Does any of these questions sound familiar to you? I know I have been there with asking questions like these at some point in my life.

Success with your health and fitness goals takes strategic planning just like any other aspect of your life. You have to sit down and dig deep to find out what you really want to achieve and why you want to achieve the goal you have set your heart on. It has to be unique to you and for you. Not for anyone else but yourself.

This is where is all starts.You have to have a mindset that you are going to crush your goal that you set out no matter what. You have to believe in yourself that you can do it.

Mindset tips:

Have a clear, precise vision of what you want to achieve.

Have a purpose so strong that it not only drives you but also inspires others to be more and do more.

Know exactly why you want to achieve your goal.

Visualize the end result. See it. Believe it. Achieve it!

Commit to taking action daily to get closer to what you want to achieve.

Step 2: NUTRITION

This is the area that most people struggle with and it is where you can make a massive breakthrough with your health and fitness. It is about seeing where you are presently and making small changes in your eating habits. It is about replacing one thing for a healthier option. It is about doing the little things daily and on a consistent basis.

Nutrition tips:

Drink half your bodyweight (lbs) in ounces of water

Aim to eat every 3-4 hours

Plan your meals in advance

When at the grocery, purchase foods mainly from fruit and veg section.

Eat foods closest to it natural source

STEP 3: EXERCISE

Exercise can be done in various forms from going to the gym, outdoor activities, swimming, biking, playing sport to name a few things. It is going to take grit and determination. It is going to take hard work. You WILL have to step out of your comfort zone. You will have to challenge yourself. You will have to push yourself. In the end the rewards are priceless and you will feel on top of the world.

Exercise tips:

Workout 3-5 times per week.

Incorporate strength training to your routine.

Focus on making improvements with each workout.

Structure your week by scheduling days and times to workout in your calendar.

Commit to doing each workout scheduled.

Following these 3 steps will provide you with greater clarity to achieve your desired outcome. Celebrate the little victories along the way. Stay focused on the task at hand and unleash your true potential to be your ultimate best with your health and fitness.

Where do you need more help with these 3 steps? What do you need to do next to cultivate better habits with your health and fitness? You can leave a comment and let me know.

At some point in your life you wanted to change something. To lose some weight. To put some muscle on. To train for a 5K, 10K, half marathon or the very popular obstacle course races like Spartan, Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash to name a few.

With each of these, a decision has to be made. A very precise decision to take action and train for the relevant goal that you are after.

However, saying ‘I want to lose weight’ or ‘I want to do an obstacle race’ is not a very strong commitment to achieve your desired outcome. Yes it is a good start to the process but it will stop there if you don’t take the next step.

The next step is to take action and burn the bridges that will stop you from going back.

You got to make it impossible to go back to your old habits. Create an uncomfortable scenario for if you fail.

So if you want to lose some of those extra pounds, burn the bridges by getting rid of all the junk in your kitchen. Get rid of all the sugary drinks you may have stored away.

You have to take some kind of action no matter how small or big to achieve your desired outcome.

I noticed that when I talk to people when they want to get started on there Health and Fitness journey they are sometimes hesitant and want the perfect day to get started or the perfect time to get started.

When is that perfect day or time?

NOW!

Saying I will start tomorrow or next week or next month or when I get some new shoes or when I get some time isn’t going to change anything for you. I didn’t workout today and it didn’t kill me, so it must be OK. 3 or 6 or 12 months later….and you are out of breath and panting as you walk from the car to your office or up a flight of stairs or running for the bus. This way of thinking will NOT get you closer to your health, wellness and vitality goals. You have to avoid these mistakes and this way of thinking as it will end up costing you.

Now let’s flip it…

Success on the other hand is doing the things we don’t want to do and doing it to our very best no matter what. It’s a few simple disciplines practiced daily. Its like getting up in the morning and following your routine.

Successdul people always have a plan and stick to it no matter what. They know what they want and go after it with drive, determination, discipline and massive action.

You can do the same with your health and fitness by doing the little things on a daily basis. Commit to working out a minimum of 4-5 times a week and for at least 30 mins of intense exercise to break a sweat but not leaving your exhausted and drained. You should feel energized after these workouts.

Plan you meals ahead of time. Know what you are having for each of your meals by taking a day each week to plan your meals for the week. At first this may take some time but to be successful you have to plan for the results you want to achieve.

Start slow and build. Don’t try to run a marathon before you can run. A baby has to learn to crawl first, then goes through the stages before he or she can walk, then run. It’s a process. Be patient with the stages and the process.

We as humans have the ability to take control of our lives. Its through our conscious choices on a daily basis, that we can develop and transform our lives, to what we dream of it being.

Make each day a success with your daily choices to unleash your true potential to be your ultimate best.

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I am trying!!!

I know you have said that before in some area of you life. I myself have said that on many occasions. But what does I am trying mean?

It is neither here or there. There is nothing to it really. There is no commitment to anything when you say try. I am trying to lose weight, I am trying to get back to working out, I am trying to eat right….

Here is the thing….

You are either going to lose weight, start working out and eating right or you are simply NOT going to do so. There is no in the middle of trying.

By saying you are trying, you then have the excuse of ‘you tried,’ if things didn’t workout. That’s what we call being a lamb and not being a lion. A lion doesn’t try to go after his prey, he attacks it with everything he has. He stalks his prey. He sets it up so he is in the best position to conquer his prey. There is no half hearted effort with a lion. It is ALL in.

Start Doing

Are you trying to lose weight – or going to commit to losing weight?

Are you trying to eat right – or going to eat right?

Are you going to try and workout – or commit to joining a training facility to workout?

What to do next?

Eliminate the word try from your vocabulary. There is no substance to the word try. It is not the most inspiring word in the dictionary and it does not empower you or motivate you to be a lion and attack life.

Make a decision. You are either going to ‘do it’ or you are ‘not going to do it.’ Be honest with yourself and it will save you a lot of heart ache down the line. Stop pretending and START DOING!

Make a commitment. There is nothing more rewarding than committing to something and seeing it to the end. The person you become at the of the commitment is where the reward lies.

This can be applied to any area of your life that you want to improve on. Make that commitment today, to doing what you need to do, to unleash your true potential to be your ultimate best.

These 11 traps are holding you back in some way or the other.

A winning mentality creates a positive cycle in our lives with anything we do. Every time we see some type of results in the gym, it spurs us on to keep going. It’s why setting goals are important and also monitoring/measuring the goal to make sure we are going in the direction we want to be going.

When we win we gain self confidence. The more confidence we have, the more likely we are to stick to the plan and take action to keep things moving forward. We feel on top of the world. We feel AWESOME!

However, losing can create a cycle in our lives, which tends to be a negative one. Loses can lead to low self confidence and being disheartened. It causes us to question things that usually cause doubt and insecurities in ourselves. Not a great feeling and not a great place to be.

Over the years of training people, I constantly hear these 11 traps that potentially hold people back form being their ULTIMATE best.

11 traps holding people back:

1. The Mistake Trap: “I am afraid of doing something wrong.”

If you are afraid of doing doing something wrong, then you will never get started. That is just a story you are telling yourself. Be courageous and make that step and keep taking little steps each and every day. How are you going to know if you are doing something wrong if you do not know if you are doing it wrong. Think about that for a second. It is a learning process with each and every step.

2. The Fatigue Trap: “I am tired today.”

Snap out of that excuse. By doing some form of exercise you are going to feel more energized.

3. The Comparison Trap: “Everybody in the gym is fit and healthy.”

Everybody in the gym had to start somewhere and so do you. You are NOT inferior to any of these people that are fit and healthy. You can do the same and transform your own health and wellness. The only person you need to compete with is yourself so forget about everybody else.

4. The Timing Trap: “This is not the right time”

Then when is the right time? There is no time like the present time. Listen the right time is now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not the first Monday of the month. The time is NOW.

5. The Inspiration Trap: “I don’t feel like doing it right now”

When do you feel like doing it then? Stop hesitating and start taking action to take control of your health. You only have one body for the rest of your life, so own it and take care of it today and every day.

6. The Rationalization Trap: “Maybe it is not important”

Are you kidding me???? You bet it is important. And you very well know that your health is important. Don’t let this trap demotivate you from being the best version of yourself.

7. The Perfection Trap:“There is a best way to do it and I have to find it before I start”

You honestly do not need the newest pair of sneakers or training clothing. You do not need to find the perfect workout (there is no such thing). All you need to do is get started and make relevant changes as you go along.

8. The Expectation Trap: “I thought it would be easy, but it isn’t”

You definitely got that one correct. Hey, yes it is going to be hard. Yes it is going to be challenging. Yes you are going to have to work for it. But in the end the reward is greater.

9. The Fairness Trap: “I shouldn’t have to do this.” “Why me?”

Yes you do! Your health is of utmost importance.

10. The Public Opinion Trap: “If I fail, what will others think?”

First of all stop thinking what other people are going to think of you. It will paralyze you. Secondly, if you fail so what. Get up and go again but this time learn from your failures. That is the joy of failure; you learn what not to do next time. How great is that!

11. The Self-Image Trap:“If I fail at this, it means I am a failure”

Let me start by saying you are NOT a failure. You are FREAKING AWESOME! (my new 2 favorite words). You are also not going to fail. There may be set backs but again it is learning process.

All of these traps are caused by losses, and all create a negative mindset. If you want to be successful with your health and fitness goals, shift your mindset to a more positive, winning mentality to bridge that gap.

What you focus on, you achieve. So focus on the things you want to achieve.

This seriously is what I want for you….

I could blog about the 10 best exercises to get the best bang for you buck, or 7 foods you should be eating, or the best exercises to get a six-pack.

To be honest, it’s all out there already. Somebody out there has written about and some day I probably will write something about those topics.

But here is what I really want for you….

I want you to get up and get moving. I want you to take responsibility for your life. I want you to take control of your actions. One thing I am not going to say is it’s going to be an easy road to get in the best shape of your life. It is going to take what I call 3 D’s and an A.

It is going to take DEDICATION!

It is going to take DETERMINATION!

It is going to take DRIVE!

Lastly you are going to have to take ACTION!

So make that first step and decide right NOW that you are going to make the change in your life that you have been thinking of doing for however long. Make that commitment to do something right NOW to be one step closer to being the BEST version of yourself. Get up now, stop reading and go do something.

Write down your goals.

Do 10 push ups.

Go for a 10 minute run.

Do a plank for 30 seconds.

Tell someone your goals.

Just do something NOW!

I want you to take action every day in the direction that you want to go in. I want you to think about everything that you are going to eat and ask yourself ‘is this going to gt me closer to where I want to be or not?’ If it is not, then make a better choice.

The next time you train push yourself, challenge yourself to be your BEST. See how far you can push yourself. Yes it is going to be uncomfortable. Yes you are going to be out of breath and gasping for air. But guess what, this is what it is going to take to get you to that next level. This is what it is going to take to achieve your desired outcome.

Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

And yes somebody who you know is going to burst your bubble and it is going to be someone very close to you. Guess what? That person is just jealous of the positive changes you are making in your life and wants to the the same.

This is what you do with this person. You HELP them achieve what you are achieving. This is going to challenge you in a different way and you will have more accountability with what you are aiming to achieve. How great would that be if you helped someone else achieve something in their life that they may be struggling with.

It would be freaking AWESOME!

I want you to STOP thinking about what other people would think when you rock up to work with all your healthy food packed up and well prepared.

I want you to STOP thinking about what other people would say when you tell them that you have stopped drinking because you are now living a healthier lifestyle. This is your life and you do NOT have to do what everyone else may be doing. It is very liberating to say NO by the way. Try it!

I want you to STOP thinking what other people are going to say when you say no to going out because you have to go to the gym. This is you life so own it!

I want you to be happy with yourself.

I want you to challenge yourself to unleash your true potential.

I want you to look sexy and be so confident that you feel on top of the world each and every day.

I want you to be outstanding with whatever you do.

I want you to ROCK your FREAKING world.

I want you to be your best.

I want when people see you that they are inspired by you to get started on their own fitness journey.

I want you to be brave to take the necessary steps that will change you life for the better. To do the things that deep down inside of you that you know you should be doing.

The only limit you have are the limits within you.

Rise above and ALWAYS be your best at whatever you do.

Rise above and ALWAYS be outstanding.

Rise above and ALWAYS raise your standards to another level.

Rise up and ALWAYS live life to your true potential.

It is your time to shine, so get up, get moving and take action TODAY.

Join the gym, find a trainer, go do Zumba, jog around the block….just do something NOW.

I want to help you so if you need advice on how to get started or how to take things to another level or have any questions, then email me:

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About Gavin

Gavin De Souza is a Certified Precision Nutrition Coach and Fitness Professional.

He has worked in several training facilities in the UK and US, specializing in Personal Training, Nutrition, Body Transformation, as well as Youth Fitness Development and Sport Specific preparation.

Gavin has been involved in the Fitness Industry since 2002.

In addition, Gavin focuses on helping to serve, mentor, inspire, lead and empower busy, successful, professionals, to find balance in their lives, so that they can unleash their true potential, to LOOK, FEEL and PERFORM at their ultimate best in sport and life.